About toys...My top 10 - Part 2

Final Part

If you haven't read About toys...My top 10 - Part 1, I strongly recommend you to do so.

Ok, before I present you the last part of this blog there is something I forgot to mention before, and this is a little hard to accept but toys DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT have gender (Same with colors)...Children should be free to play with anything they want (except real guns and things that can hurt them, I'm sure you know what I mean!), pink doesn't mean it's exclusive for girls and blue for boys, if your boy wants a doll, get it for him, ask him which one does he wants, observe him while he is playing you'll see there is absolutely nothing wrong there! let your daughter play with that remote control car or that race track, give her a football, a basketball, a baseball sit down and watch or even better, play with them! observe and you'll know that the ones with prejudices are the grown ups, you will be amazed on how much you can learn about your LO, break the paradigm, it will be wonderful to see how innocent children are and the beauty in that! You will share my opinion when I say that the world would be a better place if we were all free of prejudice like they are.

Oh well,  here is the second part of my top 10, 

My Top 10 - Part 2 (about time...)

5. Craft and Mess Free toys: Most kids LOVE crafts and we have to take advantage of that, here are some recommendations  Tape Activity books, very colorful, very nice, helps with fine motor skills same than Scissor Activity books, I just replaced the plastic ones that were driving us crazy for something like kids craft scissors, but again if the plastic ones work for you, that's even better!  Nuudles, you can stick them with water or cute some pipe cleaners in different sizes and create something with them, Sew kits you will probably need to work with them on this one. For mess free try Magic paint posters, you can find them in walmart for less than a dollar the most popular are Unicorns and Dinosaurs instead of a qtip I use a cotton ball with water in a tinny mouthwash cup and a paintbrush, she loves it and if she drops the cup there won't be coloring water decorating your carpet. Crayola offers a variety of mess free products, we like Color wonder you can buy the coloring kit or the Individual cheaper ones with your child favorites characters (I know I said no characters but thats why I mentioned the coloring kit), Color wonder stamper really cool toy and totally mess free. I LOVE Melissa and Doug Water Wow water reveal coloring books, I used to travel a lot with my LO and this was a perfect option to bring in the plane/car/bus!. Aqua Magic Mats, perfect mess free toy! there is a wide variety out there with different stencils, stamps and stuff, and it only requires some water. Reusable Stickers, there is a whole market out there!, you can get the Melissa and Doug Puffy Type with certain amount of glue or the Extra Large non glue ones, I love this activity because it helps them to identify what belongs where, with the freedom to make mistakes and use them over and over.

4. Board games: Board games are so important in children development, it is incredible how by playing you can teach them social skills, how to share, emotional intelligence, patience, and many other skills (depending on the game). Zoe's first game board was Inch Worms she was fascinated, we played like 5 times and spent literally the whole afternoon with it, she learned that she needed to wait for her turn, and that she was not always going to win, it created such a beautiful moment, after that one we got Pop the Pig omg!! what an adorable toy! it has colors and numbers and a dice and it's just cute and fun and the best part once the piggie "pops" the game is over, it is easier for me to delimited time with this toy! Pancake pile up  loved it, and saw her improvement over time, now she piles the pancakes with no trouble! Build or Boom highly recommended, we both had a lot of fun, it is very fun to watch how she follows patterns and strengths her fine motor skills!. Fish Feud this game is so simple and so much fun to play with, short rounds but very dynamic I strongly recommend it!Note the little fishes that come with this game get super dirty super fast, just wash them with soap and water then use baby powder to remove the stickiness.  OranguTwang is the perfect option for a quick game, if your LO wants to play "one more time" like they always do the for 35th time...this is very cute, easy to set up and ends fast! if there is any pending chore we have to do but she won't because she wants to keep playing, then we play a round of this one and move on!. AnimaLogic Very challenging and amazing game, it will require certain level of patience from you to explain to your LO how it works, mostly because the cute animal figures will be very distracting for them and they will want to create their own game, but hang in there, it is a really nice way to stimulate their little brains and logic. Fox in the box, Zoe received this one as a birthday present and it is fantastic! perfect for language development, rhyming and multi step direction. Acuity designed for older kids, but it is a great game for visual challenge and matching skills. Zingo another mom recommended me this game and it's sitting in my cart now, looks amazing and I haven't seen bad reviews in any of the stores that sell it, so I had to add it,  lots of fun, great for early readers and to build language and matching skills. Memory games, you can find those everywhere! or DIY, there are some personalized cool options that you can order in shutterfly (I ordered one with the pictures of all the family that Zoe only gets to see once a year). I personally love Ladybug's Garden from Fat Brain Toys, adorable and a really nice concept, great quality too Mudpuppy has affordable, great quality and a variety of beautiful designs memory match games, we have the Little Feminist one and Zoe loves it. Then I moved to the board games that generated nostalgia, the ones my sister and I used to play together, the ones I grew up with and have amazing memories of my childhood, it is incredible that those toys are still in the market, and that only means they are really good! Let's Go Fishin, there are so many versions of this one now! Perfection, Operation, El Lince, Hungry Hippos, Bed Bugs, Hedbanz Jr, Connect 4 all of them high quality toys, that improve fine motor skills, shape recognition, analytical thinking, observation and interaction with others!

3. Role play: I LOVE everything Green Toys and Play Mobile do, children slip into different roles, this is a fantastic way for them to express themselves and let you know how their life is outside your house, the way they play with other kids and how they interact with other adults, these toys promote child development, improves kids imagination and creativity. Park Playground, Swimming pool, Fashion Store, Horse Show, House Playset, Farm Playset, Fire Station Playset we have not use the Tree House but I think it's an amazing option, same as Calico Critters. For play make believe, you can try Frozen treats set, Ice Cream playset, Cleaning playset, black & Decker Baking Set, Vacuum Cleaner. All of them are highly recommended. Tip: If you struggle to clean because your LO wants to grab all your cleaning supplies, get them their own and make them "help you" not only they'll feel more confident but you won't struggle anymore!. Zoe has a Vintage Kitchen it is adorable and I think I got that particular model more for me than her, it took me 4 hours to assembly but I love how it looks, to be honest I think she would have loved any other model, she just loves the pretend and play experience that the kitchen gives her, my advice is for you to get anything more affordable, there are options at walmart for $50 and I'm sure that if I had build one with cardboard box and markers, she'd be as happy as she is with hers. Any Costume! (I recommend you to go to Target or Walmart after halloween, I got a bunch of stuff for her to dress up I payed no more than $10 dollars for frozen costumes, and $3-$6 for Rapunzel, Fancy Nancy, Snow White, Tinkerbell, etc , Target has better quality items but you'd have to wait 3-5 days for the good deal and you may not find the sizes you need) 

2. Gross Motor toys: We need to let our kids measure danger, I am guilty to be the kid of mom who was constantly after my daughter, ALL.THE.TIME telling her that she was going to fall, to watch her steps, to be careful walking downstairs etc. what I noticed later was, that adventurous baby was becoming a scared little girl who was afraid even of her own shadow, then I learned that kids need to measure danger by themselves, yes, we need to be there to avoid them to be badly injured, but we also need to chill, let them fall, let them learn how to fall, let them explore and learn to run faster to balance better, to learn to control their bodies, learning all that, it was REALLY HARD for me to step back but I did and I also got some interesting stuff for her, I am not going to lie, sometimes she was just not ready for some toys and I had to put them away for a while and then give them back when she got older. All of them are worth it. Teeter Popper and Bilibo are very interesting and original concepts, perfect for gross motor skills, core strength, balance and sensory stimulation, very high quality and attractive colors. Scoop Ball. very affordable option, I saw this first at my LO's daycare and saw how much she loved it, she still does. Balance Beam, you don't need to be a gymnast to have fun with a balance beam, this type of toy engage kids in active play and improves muscle and balance strength. After I got mine, I saw other cool models that I recently acquire the Wavy Circle a little bit more challenging but a very nice option, same with Stepping Stones there are so many options out there for this particular one, I got the 11pz one because the price was close to the 5pz one and I wanted to use some as "buckets" for her to throw stuff in them and be challenged for the different sizes/height. Bucket Stilts My dad won't stop talking of how he used to play with these, but he built them himself with old cans and some strings, Zoe loves them. Pogo Hopper, SO.MUCH.FUN! she was really scared to step on it and now she loves it, it is an amazing toy to strength her body, legs, arms everything, she still falls a lot but she is getting there.   Mini Cones very affordable and so many things you can do with them! (I'll try to post videos latter with examples). Air power ball is super fun unfortunately it does not work on carpets and Ball Bounce is a must!. Please note that most of these toys I use them in a carpet floor where she can fall over and over without hurting herself. Also any sport related type of game, Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Golf, etc are good options (they apply to the outdoor list too). Last but not least, this is not a toy, I ordered these Plastic Knives for Zoe so she cut her fruit and "Cook" her meals, she is a very picky eater and this helps a little with that, it also teaches her to "measure" danger and to reinforce her fine motor skills, I never let her use them without supervision and she never plays with them, she knows those are not toys, and the big pointy ones are stored away.

1. Sensory Toys: My favorite type of toy. There are so many amazing options, I have to say, you will accept the fact that they some of them are messy, let me start with the basics, Play Doh, there are so many activities or sets you can get, and many of them very affordable, no matter what your LO likes I'm sure there will be a play doh set for that! if you don't want the sets you can find the bottles at walmart by the cashier at 50 cents or less...I know what you are thinking...messy right? you can use this Mat to place it under the chair or activity table, it is water resistant too and helps to have the mess contained I have two of them one under her easel (the chalk won't be an easy clean for your carpet) and another one under her activity table/chair. TIP: For many Play doh sets there is a "free frustration packing option, what it means is that the brand new toy does not come in the original bright and colorful store packing but it comes in a plain cardboard box. If this toy if for your personal use, pick this option! the difference on price can be 20% -60% and let's face it the first thing that goes to the trash is the box! and the funny part is that sometimes they are out of stock of the ugly box and send you the nicely packed one! (i.e. Grill set $7.99 Vs Grill set $22.99  Ice cream $9.99 Vs Ice cream$22.20) See what I am trying to say! . Slime, I know, I know...it is horrible!!! BUT very sensory estimulating, what I did with Zoe was to buy a used crappy little table with a chair that I put in the backyard porch, so if I want some "outdoor time" that feels like "indoor" I make sure she is wearing her oldest clothes, I bring my foldable chair sit next to her, give her all the slime she wants and let her go crazy! then as soon as we are done, we get into the house and I immediately remove her clothes and change her to clean ones, that way slime is not in my carpet, her nice clothes, my jeans, etc. If you want slime that is NOT that slimey, then squishies Slimi Squishy is by far the best Slime we've had, the consistency is thicker and the quality is way nicer but beware that is still slime, so stains won't go away, if Slime is a big No No for you then the classic Silly Putty, may be a better choice, it sticks waaay less and it's pretty affordable too, not to mention, it doesn't dry!. The amazing Kinetic Sand (I love this set) Zoe can spend up to an hour playing with this toy, it is just mesmerizing even I enjoy playing with this one a lot, I even brought Bake set to the office to share it with my team and use it to reduce stress!, All the ones previously mentioned are really cheap and most of them have a DIY option!. Now the ones that are not that popular but still really cool, Bunchems, (if you can try to find the Bunchbot) Amazing, very original STEAM type of toy I LOVE this toy but it's stored away from her, why? because if your LO has the brilliant idea to put that in their little head it'll tangle so bad that you'll end up having a bald child!, don't let that stop you from getting this adorable toy, just do what I do, I make sure I am with her during the time she is playing with it and once she is done I store it awar where she can not reach it, I also warn her not to put it in her head and explain to her why, she is actually pretty good at understanding that so I trust she won't intentionally do it, but sometimes she is so focus that she suddenly forgets this golden rule and scratches her head when holding them in her hand, so I am not risking it her beautiful hair so she's alway being supervised when playing with this toy. Crayola Glitter dots there are several versions of this adorable activity not the best of all but pretty entertaining. Water Beads amazing for fine motor skills and sensory stimulation! the best part is, when you don't want them anymore, just dig them in your garden! this toy was actually created to help agriculture. Playfoam, lots of fun activities that you can do with this one, it is also very colorful but it can be a little messy (not slime messy tho) Spy and dig in, perfect toy for fine motor skills and vocabulary. Sensory Body Sock this is kind of weird we recently acquired as her therapist recommended it, Zoe was hesitant to use it, it kind of freaked her out but once I showed her she could use it as a racing bag (haven't tried yet) she started to enjoy it and ended up using it, apparently improves self calming, balance, movement creativity and body - spatial awareness.  Squigz, from fat brain toys, great quality, suction construction toy, really cool. Pipe ball so cheap and so simple and so much fun and so cool, it develops lip muscle and control breath (Keep the little marble away from small children and remind your toddler to never put it in the mouth). Piano Popping another one from fat brain toys, as I mentioned before great quality and colorful option, I have to warn you, this one is battery operated (although if is out of battery still works just less noisy)  and it is a nice introduction to music! Bodolo building blocks I like this option better than legos because if you step on them it won't hurt as much lol, I got this toy for Zoe, for one of our trips and she couldn't care less for it, then when I was gathering old/new toys to donate and sell, my husband saw it and start building stuff with her, now it is one of her favorites, it doesn't have any guide it leave all to their imagination, I put it in the sensory section because Zoe loves to bury her hands in the container, and many times she just like to touch and feel the pieces instead of building something, she does the same thing with PlusPlus (Check the sizes before ordering) and LEGOS, btw, legos, not exactly my favorite but I still needed to add it, classic toy, I think the best option is the creative brick box,  most of the sets have a defined design and do not leave much to imagination not to mention they are quite pricey but I admit they are a really nice quality toy and can keep your LO entertained for a while.

Wrapping up

If you are still reading it means that you may have liked my blog, I will keep updating it as I normally find new cool stuff. But I will keep you posted I may add a part 3 to this so I don't mess with the original post and you don't have to go back and read all over to find the additions. If you liked what you read of you have any recommendation, please add it in the comments. I normally don't post a lot but if I have a positive response I'll definitely work in other tips or situations I've deal with when I became a mom!!

P.S.
I posted some videos of Zoe's YouTube channel playing with these toys. If you want to see a specific one let me know and I can either look in my library or record a new one!
I plan to create a Gallery with different pictures (mostly for the building toys with some cool ideas). I'll let you know when is done.

Zoe's Take Apart Toy
Zoe's Vacuum Cleaner.
Zoe's Dominoes.
Zoe's Plastic Knifes.
Zoe's Perfection.
Zoe's Buckets.
Zoe's Gross Motor Toys.
Zoe's Chalktivity
Zoe's Soccer ball
Zoe's mini lite brite

Thank you for reading me!
Lots of good vibes!
xoxo
Bere